This Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread is seriously moist, perfectly chocolatey and makes the best healthy and satisfying snack or dessert! It's perfectly sweet, packed with banana flavour and is refined sugar free too.

My Blueberry Banana Bread recipe has been such a big hit - so many people have made the recipe and loved it! This Chocolate Banana Bread is a perfect alternative if you fancy some sweet, squishy banana bread, but also happen to be craving something rich and chocolatey.
How to make this recipe
Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe.
- Mash the bananas in a wide-bottomed bowl using a fork.
- Mix together all the ingredients in a glass mixing bowl - use a measuring jug to measure out the plant-based milk.
- Transfer the mixture to a one-pound loaf tin.
Tip: Line the tin with greased baking paper to make it easier to remove the banana bread afterwards.
- Scatter over more chocolate chips to decorate, if desired.
- Bake in the oven for around 45 minutes, until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Tip: Leave the banana bread to cool down on a cooling rack before putting it away to store, to make sure it doesn't get soggy!
How long does this Chocolate Banana Bread keep for?
- It keeps well covered in the fridge for up to a few days.
- Unless eaten on the day it’s been made, I would recommend warming up slices of the banana bread in the toaster.
- However, avoid the toaster if you've used chocolate chips, as otherwise you'll end up with melted chocolate all over the inside of the toaster!
Substitutions you can make
- You can use any type of oil: coconut oil, olive oil or vegetable oil.
- You can use any type of plant-based milk: almond milk, rice milk, soy milk, cashew milk, oat milk etc.
- You can use any type of liquid sweetener: maple syrup, agave syrup, brown rice syrup etc.
- You can replace the ground almonds (almond meal/almond flour) with ground walnuts.
- For a nut-free version: replace the ground almonds (almond meal/almond flour) with ground sunflower seeds.
- You can use plain flour, wholemeal (whole wheat) flour or spelt flour instead of the gluten-free flour if you’re not gluten-free.
- You can omit the chocolate chips.
- For a refined sugar free version, omit the chocolate chips or use refined sugar free chocolate chips or chunks.
- You can add a handful of chopped walnuts or some desiccated coconut.
- Don't like bananas? Make a sweet potato version instead!
More vegan banana recipes
- Blueberry Banana Bread
- Blueberry Banana Muffins
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Banana Cake
- Banana Walnut Bread
- Banana Oatmeal
- Gluten-Free Vegan Peanut Butter Banana Bread
If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.
Watch how to make this recipe
Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 3 medium-sized ripe bananas
- 60 g (¼ cup) coconut oil (or sub olive or vegetable oil)
- 10 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
- Pinch salt
- 150 g (1 ¼ cup) ground almonds (almond meal) *
- 150 g (1 ¼ cup) gluten-free flour blend (or sub plain flour if not gluten-free)
- 50 g (½ cup) cocoa powder
- 2 heaped teaspoons baking powder (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
- ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 120 ml (½ cup) unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)
- 50 g (â…“ cup) dark chocolate chips ** (optional - ensure vegan/gluten-free if necessary)
To decorate (optional):
- Dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit).
- Peel the bananas and place in a wide-bottomed bowl, then use a fork to mash until you get a smooth paste.
- Place the coconut oil in a separate large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave (skip this step if using any other oil).
- Once melted, add the maple syrup to the same bowl along with the vinegar, salt and ground almonds.
- Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.
- Add the mashed bananas, and mix well, adding the milk a small amount at a time until you get a loose batter. You may not need to use it all depending on how liquidy your bananas are - you may also need to add a little more milk if your bananas are dry.
- If using, add the chocolate chips and stir in carefully.
- Transfer the mixture into a loaf tin lined with greased baking paper (use a one-pound loaf tin).
- Scatter over more chocolate chips to decorate, if desired.
- Bake in oven for around 45 minutes until risen and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
- Once out the oven, transfer onto a wire rack to leave to cool completely before slicing.
- Keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days - best reheated in the toaster (but avoid the toaster if you've used chocolate chips, as otherwise you'll end up with melted chocolate all over the inside of the toaster).
Video
Notes
- If you’ve kept your banana bread in the oven for the right amount of time and it’s still not done in the centre and the top is becoming burnt, then I would recommend covering it with a piece of baking paper to prevent the outside from becoming burnt, and continuing to bake it until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
- Make sure to leave the banana bread to cool down completely on aÂ
cooling rack before packing it away to store because otherwise the steam from the warm banana bread will get trapped and you’ll end up with soggy banana bread, which nobody wants!
Disclosure: This posts contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you purchase any of these products, a small percentage will come to me with no extra cost to you! This income will go towards the running of this blog – thank you.
Helen Hey
Just made this and ended up substituting ground pecans for some of the almonds still a delicious heavy moist cake . Great heated up with ice cream or cream almost chocolate fudge like
Pam in Sacramento
Made this wonderful bread today. So yummy. It turned out perfectly, and looked just exactly like the picture. Love the banana-chocolate flavor combination, and the moist tender texture.
Rhian, every one of your recipes I have tried so far come out perfect. You have GF vegan baking nailed, my dear! My family is so grateful to you for generously sharing your recipes. Thank you!
Rhian Williams
Thank you so much, so happy to hear that!!
Tam
I made this bread last week with a substitution of maple syrup to coconut flower syrup for my friend who is on a diet. It was my first time trying a vegan gluten-free recipe. (I am not a vegan, nor a gluten-free needed person, however, I've just found out that I have a problem with dairy products.) Your chocolate banana bread recipe blew my mind!! It turned out very moist and delicious! Chocolate and banana are always a perfect combination! My friend was very happy with this amazing bread. Thank you for sharing this recipe, Rhian!
Rhian Williams
Thank you so much, so glad you liked it!!
Mariella
Can I make it ahead and freeze it.
Rhian Williams
Yes!
Katharina Schubert
It was a very very lovely treat.
My BF tries to cut out sugar- so we found your page to still enjoy sweet treats and we love them.
Rhian Williams
Thank you so much, so happy to hear that!